AP RedHSX: How to kill a fun game
October 22nd 2008 23:16
Anyone that stumbled onto my blog should know that I'm into fantasy sports. A friend of mine turned me onto a website called HSX a couple of years ago that is like a weird amalgammation of fantasy sport/Hollywood/the stock market.
And after I figured out how to play the game I got into it. Predicting how the movie stocks will do based on their real world counterpart performs that weekend. Thinking about what a StarBond will do when when movie comes off the 5 movie trailing average of a bond. Taking advantage of the little parts of the game that helps with your gains.
HSX made a little niche for itself in the on-line world. Then something happened a week and a half ago.
The site went off-line to make changes.
And when it came back, it became a hybrid of the game. It turned into HSX/MySpace.
Here's the thing. If people want social interaction, wouldn't they be on a social networking site like My Space? Or maybe an MMORPG?
It wreaks of a site trying to cash in. I'd be ok with that, but the game interface isn't as intuitive as it was before. You can't see all of your holdings, you don't get to see your trade go through immediately, and the leagues you created are all gone.
Its a free game so no harm done and the game is still honestly intact. It just feels like it was sprung on the people for no real reason. The game didn't get any better, the features don't add to the game, instead of letting the people choose to be social its thrust upon them, and the core interface was overhauled without any need making it less intuitive.
New HSX makes New Coke look like a good idea. Hope they made money and hope it was worth it.
And after I figured out how to play the game I got into it. Predicting how the movie stocks will do based on their real world counterpart performs that weekend. Thinking about what a StarBond will do when when movie comes off the 5 movie trailing average of a bond. Taking advantage of the little parts of the game that helps with your gains.
HSX made a little niche for itself in the on-line world. Then something happened a week and a half ago.
The site went off-line to make changes.
And when it came back, it became a hybrid of the game. It turned into HSX/MySpace.
Here's the thing. If people want social interaction, wouldn't they be on a social networking site like My Space? Or maybe an MMORPG?
It wreaks of a site trying to cash in. I'd be ok with that, but the game interface isn't as intuitive as it was before. You can't see all of your holdings, you don't get to see your trade go through immediately, and the leagues you created are all gone.
Its a free game so no harm done and the game is still honestly intact. It just feels like it was sprung on the people for no real reason. The game didn't get any better, the features don't add to the game, instead of letting the people choose to be social its thrust upon them, and the core interface was overhauled without any need making it less intuitive.
New HSX makes New Coke look like a good idea. Hope they made money and hope it was worth it.
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